Overview of upgrade tools on Windows 7
Microsoft is actively promoting Windows 7. If we leave aside the question of why switching to the new version, and remembering that the support of some XP and Vista OS still has to end (and not in such a remote perspective), the question of migration arises. I doubt that someone from the community will, if necessary, find it difficult to transfer their PCs to a new operating system. But let's not forget, except for us there are much less advanced comrades. When moving it is required to save movies, music, photo albums and not to caulk with reinstalling applications, especially if there are many of them and if they are long and tediously adjusted. Very perfect - so that the collection of distributions in the torrent client does not fly away :). Banal googling led to the trail of six products that are somehow mentioned in the context of an upgrade on Windows 7 from previous versions of operating systems.
Software manufacturers offer a number of software solutions that solve two main tasks of the transition to Windows 7 - help to make the transition itself and ensure compatibility of the old software with the new OS. Moreover, in the choice of the tool of this compatibility in software companies, there is an enviable unanimity: it is proposed to “marry” not the first freshness of the application with the “seven” using virtualization. So it makes sense to compare how the proposed software handles each of the two tasks. Under the cut - quite a lot of letters and a large table of possibilities. Go.
Let us name experimental subjects in alphabetical order and proceed to the analysis on the merits:
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• Laplink PCMover
• Paragon System Upgrade Utilities 2010 Free
• Parallels Desktop Upgrade to Windows 7
• SmartDeploy VM Express
• VMware ThinApp
• Windows XP mode
Task One: Migration
The safe and, if possible, simple transfer of user data (both files and applications with their settings) is the cornerstone of the “move” operation. No one wants to lose "all that is acquired by overwork" when replacing Windows XP with Windows 7 on the same computer. Or after buying the latest generation of PC, when all the data remains in the old laptop. Following the comparison, the choice is to stop at Parallels and Laplink. The developers of these programs provided for as many as three scenarios - using an external HDD, over a local network and via a USB cable. It is worth explaining here that the mention of a cable with a mysterious insert appears on the websites of companies for USB migration, however, it’s not reported that the device is embedded in the wire break. It is known for certain that using conventional USB will not work, and that delivery with a cable is possible only for boxed versions of both products. The appearance of the application from Parallels with a wire (performed by Deluxe) is promised in July 2010. Laplink applies a wire to the Pro version, but such happiness is sold only to users in Europe and America. The boxed version of the product in Russia is not available.
Moving within the framework of the existing machine will not require messing around with the wires: start the application, keep the seven distribution kit ready and follow the system prompts. Here, by the way, lies the important difference between the Parallels product from Laplink and all the more other applications - it fully automates the upgrade. From the owner of the PC you will need one operation to load the DVD into the optical drive and enter the license key. The application itself will select the partition to be installed, transfer the date and time to the new platform, deal with the accounts and do many other routine operations. You begin to appreciate the advantages of automation after the events on the eve, when namayalsya packages for working with HDD and manual installation of Windows XP, which are annoying that they ask permission for every sneeze.
But the third tool, officially positioned for the transition to Windows 7, a package of two utilities Paragon System Upgrade Utilities 2010 Free, somewhat stumped. Despite the name, this package has a rather indirect relation to the upgrade. Rather, this means “artillery preparation” of a hard disk to fill it with Windows 7. According to its purpose, the utility resembles an advanced hybrid of an application for managing hard disks and the good old BootManager, which allows you to choose which OS to start when the computer starts. Maybe the virtualization part of the package (Paragon Virtualization Manager) will behave more adequately?
Task Two: Virtualization
The idea of ​​using virtualization for compatibility of old applications with Windows 7 belongs to Microsoft. Even at the dawn of beta testing, the G-7 announced support for the so-called XP mode based on the proprietary component Virtual PC, which can be activated for free. Despite important limitations (XP mode only for Professional and Ultimate versions, demands on system resources, lack of support for OpenGL and DirectX), proprietary technology is used in solutions from other vendors. For example, Paragon Virtualization Manager, the second utility of Paragon System Upgrade Utilities 2010 Free, integrates with Microsoft’s virtualization system. VMware is also supported, but in Paraguay user Paragon declines responsibility for problems, such as, for example, possible difficulties with integration services (VMware Tools) and with the format of virtual disks.
VMware support in the Paragon application is implemented for a reason. VMware makes great products for the corporate sector, so a solution for ensuring compatibility of old applications with Windows 7 based on virtual machines should have appeared sooner or later. ThinApp feature (and this is it) is that it virtualizes not the entire OS, but only some of the applications that are selected by the user. Having said about the user, I probably got a little excited. Not only is the process of pulling the program out of the old OS and its subsequent packing for use in Windows 7 itself is quite complicated, as it also requires two computers (one with XP, the other with the "seven"). Therefore, without the help of a system administrator can not do. In general, for companies this may be suitable, but private owners will have to be confused.
The Smart Deploy solution from the less popular Prowess company is also corporate to the bone and is designed to manage disk images and virtualize. It is positioned not as a means to upgrade to Windows 7 and not as a means of ensuring compatibility of the new OS and old applications, but as a kind of solution that facilitates the management of IT infrastructure in large companies with hundreds and even thousands of work PCs included in the local network. For a home, such a tool is applicable a little.
What we have in the end
The six products presented in this review turned out to be completely different - both in positioning, and in technology, and in the range of tasks performed. From the tablet it is clear that Laplink and Parallels made the simplest and most suitable applications for moving home users. The latter is as close as possible to what the utility of such an assignment should do - full automation of the migration, preservation of all that is needed and application compatibility.
Differences Laplink - selective migration (you can refuse to transfer applications and files that you do not need), cross-platform (you can transfer your data from PC to Mac) and the ability to roll back to the old OS if there are any problems. But in Russia PCmover is not officially sold. This means that the program has lost one of the three scenarios (the one that is USB-USB), that there will be no Russian version or user support. In addition, Laplink did not include any "features" in ensuring its compatibility with Windows 7 with old applications. The program perfectly knows how to “transport” data to a new OS, but is not trained to open programs in a new environment.
The main features of Parallels Desktop Upgrade to Windows7 are the automated installation process for Windows 7 and a very good virtual machine that does not eat up system resources at idle and smartly even handles heavy applications. It came from the product for Macs, and the hypervisors learned how to do the latest version of their Mac desktop in Parallels. A version of the product from Parallels in the box and with USB (to whom it is in principle) is expected in July.
Table link
Software manufacturers offer a number of software solutions that solve two main tasks of the transition to Windows 7 - help to make the transition itself and ensure compatibility of the old software with the new OS. Moreover, in the choice of the tool of this compatibility in software companies, there is an enviable unanimity: it is proposed to “marry” not the first freshness of the application with the “seven” using virtualization. So it makes sense to compare how the proposed software handles each of the two tasks. Under the cut - quite a lot of letters and a large table of possibilities. Go.
Let us name experimental subjects in alphabetical order and proceed to the analysis on the merits:
')
• Laplink PCMover
• Paragon System Upgrade Utilities 2010 Free
• Parallels Desktop Upgrade to Windows 7
• SmartDeploy VM Express
• VMware ThinApp
• Windows XP mode
Task One: Migration
The safe and, if possible, simple transfer of user data (both files and applications with their settings) is the cornerstone of the “move” operation. No one wants to lose "all that is acquired by overwork" when replacing Windows XP with Windows 7 on the same computer. Or after buying the latest generation of PC, when all the data remains in the old laptop. Following the comparison, the choice is to stop at Parallels and Laplink. The developers of these programs provided for as many as three scenarios - using an external HDD, over a local network and via a USB cable. It is worth explaining here that the mention of a cable with a mysterious insert appears on the websites of companies for USB migration, however, it’s not reported that the device is embedded in the wire break. It is known for certain that using conventional USB will not work, and that delivery with a cable is possible only for boxed versions of both products. The appearance of the application from Parallels with a wire (performed by Deluxe) is promised in July 2010. Laplink applies a wire to the Pro version, but such happiness is sold only to users in Europe and America. The boxed version of the product in Russia is not available.
Moving within the framework of the existing machine will not require messing around with the wires: start the application, keep the seven distribution kit ready and follow the system prompts. Here, by the way, lies the important difference between the Parallels product from Laplink and all the more other applications - it fully automates the upgrade. From the owner of the PC you will need one operation to load the DVD into the optical drive and enter the license key. The application itself will select the partition to be installed, transfer the date and time to the new platform, deal with the accounts and do many other routine operations. You begin to appreciate the advantages of automation after the events on the eve, when namayalsya packages for working with HDD and manual installation of Windows XP, which are annoying that they ask permission for every sneeze.
But the third tool, officially positioned for the transition to Windows 7, a package of two utilities Paragon System Upgrade Utilities 2010 Free, somewhat stumped. Despite the name, this package has a rather indirect relation to the upgrade. Rather, this means “artillery preparation” of a hard disk to fill it with Windows 7. According to its purpose, the utility resembles an advanced hybrid of an application for managing hard disks and the good old BootManager, which allows you to choose which OS to start when the computer starts. Maybe the virtualization part of the package (Paragon Virtualization Manager) will behave more adequately?
Task Two: Virtualization
The idea of ​​using virtualization for compatibility of old applications with Windows 7 belongs to Microsoft. Even at the dawn of beta testing, the G-7 announced support for the so-called XP mode based on the proprietary component Virtual PC, which can be activated for free. Despite important limitations (XP mode only for Professional and Ultimate versions, demands on system resources, lack of support for OpenGL and DirectX), proprietary technology is used in solutions from other vendors. For example, Paragon Virtualization Manager, the second utility of Paragon System Upgrade Utilities 2010 Free, integrates with Microsoft’s virtualization system. VMware is also supported, but in Paraguay user Paragon declines responsibility for problems, such as, for example, possible difficulties with integration services (VMware Tools) and with the format of virtual disks.
VMware support in the Paragon application is implemented for a reason. VMware makes great products for the corporate sector, so a solution for ensuring compatibility of old applications with Windows 7 based on virtual machines should have appeared sooner or later. ThinApp feature (and this is it) is that it virtualizes not the entire OS, but only some of the applications that are selected by the user. Having said about the user, I probably got a little excited. Not only is the process of pulling the program out of the old OS and its subsequent packing for use in Windows 7 itself is quite complicated, as it also requires two computers (one with XP, the other with the "seven"). Therefore, without the help of a system administrator can not do. In general, for companies this may be suitable, but private owners will have to be confused.
The Smart Deploy solution from the less popular Prowess company is also corporate to the bone and is designed to manage disk images and virtualize. It is positioned not as a means to upgrade to Windows 7 and not as a means of ensuring compatibility of the new OS and old applications, but as a kind of solution that facilitates the management of IT infrastructure in large companies with hundreds and even thousands of work PCs included in the local network. For a home, such a tool is applicable a little.
What we have in the end
The six products presented in this review turned out to be completely different - both in positioning, and in technology, and in the range of tasks performed. From the tablet it is clear that Laplink and Parallels made the simplest and most suitable applications for moving home users. The latter is as close as possible to what the utility of such an assignment should do - full automation of the migration, preservation of all that is needed and application compatibility.
Differences Laplink - selective migration (you can refuse to transfer applications and files that you do not need), cross-platform (you can transfer your data from PC to Mac) and the ability to roll back to the old OS if there are any problems. But in Russia PCmover is not officially sold. This means that the program has lost one of the three scenarios (the one that is USB-USB), that there will be no Russian version or user support. In addition, Laplink did not include any "features" in ensuring its compatibility with Windows 7 with old applications. The program perfectly knows how to “transport” data to a new OS, but is not trained to open programs in a new environment.
The main features of Parallels Desktop Upgrade to Windows7 are the automated installation process for Windows 7 and a very good virtual machine that does not eat up system resources at idle and smartly even handles heavy applications. It came from the product for Macs, and the hypervisors learned how to do the latest version of their Mac desktop in Parallels. A version of the product from Parallels in the box and with USB (to whom it is in principle) is expected in July.
Table link
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/96147/
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